You are known for invulnerability,

Unwavering in the cold.

Your bright fluorescence,

It is said,

Burns away snow.

Your upright fragrance,

Say some,

Dignifies the wintery air.

But I see your true colors,

Your frailty, fragility, and vulnerability.

I look past your masquerade,

Your mask of defiance.

You can't decide,

It's not your decision to make,

Programmed by nature,

To bloom in the depth of winter.

I see your struggles

Against snow, sleet, and cold.

I feel your successes,

I lament your travails.

I am a plum blossom, doing my utmost,

To stay upright in snow.